Studies about women’s underrepresentation in the U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic workforce have flourished in the past decade. Much of this research focuses on institutionalized gender barriers and implicit biases, consistent with theorizing about how work organizations disproportionately benefit men, white people, and other systemically advantaged groups. But to what extent do faculty most likely disadvantaged by systematic inequities actually perceive “barriers” to equity in the context of their own work lives? What might the repercussions associated with variation in perceptions about inequity be, especially within institutions of higher education actively pursuing equity agendas under such programs as the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program? Using interview data from 53 STEM women faculty working at a university that received a 5-year NSF ADVANCE IT award, we examine the range of views held among women scientists about the extent to which opportunity and success are a function of meritocratic versus nonmeritocratic processes. Findings show that almost a third of participants held the view that opportunities and advancement are primarily a function of meritocratic processes. We discuss implications of these findings for broader institutional efforts to reduce inequities in academic STEM.

在过去的十年中，有关女性在美国科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学术界中代表性不足的研究蓬勃发展。这项研究大部分集中在制度化的性别障碍和隐性偏见上，这与关于工作组织如何使男性，白人和其他具有系统优势的群体不成比例地获得收益的理论相一致。但是，在何种程度上，最有可能受到系统性不平等影响的教师实际上在他们自己的工作生活中认为公平的“障碍”呢？与对不平等观念的变化有关的后果可能是，尤其是在高等教育机构内部，在国家科学基金会的ADVANCE计划等计划下积极追求平等议程？使用来自获得5年NSF ADVANCE IT奖的一所大学的53名STEM女教师的访谈数据，我们研究了女科学家关于机会和成功在多寡与无多才之间发挥作用的程度的观点。调查结果表明，几乎三分之一的参与者认为机会和进步主要是精英制的作用。我们讨论了这些发现对减少学术STEM中不平等现象的更广泛机构努力的意义。我们研究了女科学家关于机会和成功在多大程度上是精英和非精英过程的函数所持有的观点。调查结果表明，几乎三分之一的参与者认为机会和进步主要是精英制的作用。我们讨论了这些发现对减少学术STEM中不平等现象的更广泛机构努力的意义。我们研究了女科学家关于机会和成功在多大程度上是精英和非精英过程的函数所持有的观点。调查结果表明，几乎三分之一的参与者认为机会和进步主要是精英制的作用。我们讨论了这些发现对减少学术STEM中不平等现象的更广泛机构努力的意义。